Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory)

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory)
Name	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Settlement type	Union territory
Coordinates	11°40′N 92°44′E
Country	India
Established	1956
Capital	Port Blair
Area km2	8249
Population	379944
Official languages	Hindi, English

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory) The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic Union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal near the entrance to the Andaman Sea. The territory comprises two major island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, and several smaller islands, islets and atolls, with the administrative capital at Port Blair. The islands have strategic importance for Indian Navy, rich indigenous cultures such as the Jarawa people and Great Andamanese, and unique ecosystems that include tropical rainforests and coral reef systems like those in the Ritchie’s Archipelago and Barren Island.

Geography

The territory occupies a chain extending from the vicinity of Cape Negrais to south of Sumatra, lying between Myanmar and Indonesia in the eastern Indian Ocean. Major islands include South Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island, North Andaman Island, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, and Barren Island. Topography ranges from low coastal plains to volcanic features such as Barren Island volcano and elevated summits like Mount Thullier on Great Nicobar. The archipelago lies on the Indo-Australian Plate near the Sunda Trench and experiences seismicity related to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Coastal habitats include mangroves around Diglipur and Mayabunder, and marine zones abutting the Gulf of Martaban and Andaman Sea.

History

Prehistoric occupation involved maritime hunter-gatherers represented by the Onge people, Sentinelese and Nicobarese, with archaeological sites comparable to Mehrgarh and Bhimbetka. European contact began with the East India Company and voyages by explorers associated with Cook and Magellan-era navigation patterns, later involving French India and British India colonial administration. The British established a penal colony at Port Blair and on Ross Island linked to the Cellular Jail where figures like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar were imprisoned. During World War II the islands were occupied by the Empire of Japan and became a theater for the Indian National Army under Subhas Chandra Bose. Post-independence administrative changes included integration into the Republic of India and reorganization under the States Reorganisation Act and later union territory statutes.

Administration and Politics

The territory is administered by a Lieutenant Governor appointed under Indian constitutional provisions and has a civilian bureaucracy linked to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Local administration involves the Port Blair Municipal Council and district units such as North and Middle Andaman district and Nicobar district. Law and order involve coordination between the Andaman and Nicobar Police, Indian Coast Guard units, and the Indian Navy's Andaman and Nicobar Command. Political representation occurs through a single seat in the Lok Sabha and local reserved seats relating to indigenous communities under statutes influenced by the Scheduled Tribes provisions and national policies like the Fifth Schedule.

Demographics and Society

The population comprises indigenous groups including the Jarawa, Onge, Great Andamanese, and Sentinelese, alongside settlers from mainland regions such as Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. Languages include Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, and indigenous languages like Aka-Bea and Aka-Bo. Religious communities include practitioners of Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and local belief systems. Social services involve institutions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation and educational establishments affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education and universities linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University research collaborations on island studies.

Economy and Infrastructure

The economy relies on fisheries around Cellular Jail and Havelock Island waters, agriculture in areas like Car Nicobar with coconuts and areca, and services tied to strategic installations like the Andaman and Nicobar Command and Port Blair Airport. Natural resource sectors involve limited timber and non-timber forest products regulated under laws such as the Indian Forest Act and policies influenced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Infrastructure projects include port facilities at Port Blair Harbour, the Neil Island ferry network, and communications supported by companies like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and satellite services coordinated with Indian Space Research Organisation.

Environment and Biodiversity

The islands host endemic flora and fauna with ecoregions comparable to Sundaland biodiversity, including coral assemblages near Little Andaman and terrestrial species such as the Nicobar megapode and Andaman wood pigeon. Protected areas include Middle Button Island National Park, Mount Harriet National Park, and Galathea National Park on Great Nicobar. Conservation involves agencies like the Zoological Survey of India and programs linked to the Convention on Biological Diversity, addressing threats from invasive species, coastal erosion, and impacts from events like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Research collaborations occur with institutions including Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and international bodies such as IUCN.

Transportation and Tourism

Connectivity includes air services via Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair, ferry routes serving Havelock Island (now Swaraj Dweep), Neil Island (now Shaheed Dweep), and inter-island shipping coordinated with the Sagarika Passenger Services and Shipping Corporation of India. Tourism centers include Radhanagar Beach, Cellular Jail National Memorial, Ross Island, and diving sites near Barren Island and the Swaraj Dweep coral tracts. Strategic transit involves naval bases, INS Jarawa, and logistical support for regional initiatives such as the Look East Policy and maritime security cooperation with ASEAN partners.

Category:Union territories of India Category:Archipelagoes of Asia Category:Islands of the Bay of Bengal